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  1. Sometimes you just know a game is going to tug on your heartstrings. Arise: A Simple Story is an emotional journey through one man's memories of life, played out in puzzle-platformer stages and propelled by a sweeping soundtrack. This game serves as a good reminder that oftentimes a simple story can be the most impactful. The game begins with the main character's death, and shows his journey through a snowy mountaintop afterworld. Here he revisits chapters of his life, starting with his youth, and leading through joyous and sorrowful memories. Arise knows how to tell an affecting story even without any writing or dialogue, because the emotions that this reflection on life elicits are so universal. You don't need an exhaustive backstory to be swept up in this man's life story, or be moved by the highs and lows he experiences. It's a sweet, gentle, and beautiful tale. Since there is no dialogue or writing, a lot of that emotional storytelling comes from the game's presentation. Notably, the soundtrack does an outstanding job of sweeping you up in the emotional heart of the game, whether it's in a fun, light-hearted memory or a dark one. In every instance the music is soulful and rich. The simple but stylish art design also does an excellent job of letting the emotions of the game speak for themselves. Simple shapes and strong colors convey so much with so little. Arise features a fairly unique and simple gameplay mechanic. Within each memory you, as the old man, run and jump and climb through various environments, but with the right control stick you're able to manipulate time. In each stage this means something different—in one instance it allows you to raise or lower the level of rain/water, allowing you to reach high or low areas. In another, it allows you to time the lightning to the point where you can see and are safe from whatever lurks in the dark. There's a short length that you can move time back or forward, plus you can pause it if you need to hold it on a specific moment. It's a great gameplay hook because it's so easy to understand and still allows for a good amount of variety and inventive interaction. Just exploring the environment becomes more engaging when you have such a unique tool at your disposal. That said, the platforming controls in Arise are a bit clunky. It's not enough to spoil the experience, but the protagonist's movements are somewhat slow and lumbering, and the button commands for scaling a cliff or swinging on a rope don't quite feel snappy and satisfying. It's especially odd since the time manipulation mechanic feels pretty decently thought out. Again, it doesn't impact the game terribly, but the controls could be smoother. Arise is only about four hours long, so it definitely feels like a quick one-and-done kind of game (though the emotions of the experience will still linger with you). There are optional collectibles in each stage which you really ought to pursue, both because the game will feel even shorter if you just run through each level and because the collectibles provide adorable artwork that further fleshes out the narrative. Sometimes these images feel even more central to the story than the main game's storytelling. Arise also features a co-op mode where one player controls the old man and another controls the flow of time. It's a bit of an odd set-up—and ripe for the time-controlling player to troll the other player—but the option is there. Arise: A Simple Story tells you exactly what it is in the title. It's a simple story about one man's life, but what makes it resonate so well is the universally relatable journey of emotions, a journey of empathy. It's a simple story because it's a human story. The game also offers a clever take on time manipulation, even if the controls feel a bit clunky. In the end though, the main reason to check out Arise is to experience a simple yet beautifully told story of life. Rating: 8 out of 10 Memories
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